Queensland coach Kevin Walters expresses concern at lack of genuine goalkicking options
MAROONS coach Kevin Walters is concerned about Queensland’s lack of quality goalkickers as Valentine Holmes admitted he was nervous about taking on the high-pressure job.
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MAROONS coach Kevin Walters is concerned about Queensland’s lack of quality goalkickers as Valentine Holmes admitted he was nervous about taking on the high-pressure job.
Walters on Monday named his team for Wednesday week’s State of Origin series opener at the MCG and is devoid of a gun goalkicker.
The Maroons only have to look back to last year’s series to see how important a clutch kicker can be after Johnathan Thurston won Game Two with a famous sideline conversion at ANZ Stadium.
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With Thurston and captain Cameron Smith retiring from the representative arena, the Maroons have lost two of the NRL’s best goalkickers.
Walters overlooked Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, a regular goalkicker this season, for the Queensland No. 7 jersey in favour of Dragons halfback Hunt.
Hunt has not attempted to kick a goal since 2015 while Holmes has a career percentage of 71.88 but has not kicked this season.
Hunt and Holmes are expected to practice in Camp Maroon throughout the week before deciding on a chief kicker.
Walters said Queensland would adopt a positive approach to scoring points rather than rely on kicking goals.
“I am concerned to some degree,” Walters said.
“Valentine Holmes has kicked, Cameron Munster has kicked and Ben Hunt has kicked.
“We know there have been some big moments in Origin in the last 30 years and some of them based around goalkicking.
“It is a big play for us, but my dad always said you’ve got to score tries before you worry about kicking goals. That’s what we’ll be trying to do.”
Holmes has the best career strike rate of the potential Maroons kickers, edging out Hunt (69 per cent) and five-eighth Munster (65 per cent).
The Blues have two gun kickers in Penrith halves James Maloney and Nathan Cleary while centre Latrell Mitchell is also a regular kicker.
Holmes said he practised at training but could not unseat Sharks halfback Chad Townsend.
“Obviously it’d be a bit nerve-racking, I don’t even goal kick for my club,” Holmes said.
“But me and Chad (Townsend) always have competitions every training day. It’s not going to be a new thing to me. I used to goalkick last year when Jimmy (Maloney) was out.
“If they asked me to do it, if I’m there, I’ll definitely try and kick them all.
“I’m still practising because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the game and you’ve got to be prepared for that.”
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Originally published as Queensland coach Kevin Walters expresses concern at lack of genuine goalkicking options